The Wanderer
by Little Angel's Perk
Summary: A strange man entered our town, and rumor has it he is the one who will destroy us all. Rumors have a way of getting around our Grand City, so I wonder how the Lords will react when the news travels to them... (It's short and complete) ;;


  
Title: The Wanderer   
Author: Little Angel   
Pairings: That's up to the reader's interpretation..... (i.e: the Wanderer can be either Zechs, Heero, or Quatre.... depending on who you like best, or how you interpret it....)   
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the Picture of the Bridge this story was based on.....   
Archieve: Sure just tell me where it's going....   
Warnings: umm.... strange? extremely small bit of gore... possible tissue alert? ( 

ON WARD HO! 

Everyone has heard rumors about this lone wonderer that travels all around the world, going from city to town and back again, in an endless cycle. It's said that he gained something from the ancient God's of a time long ago lost to us. But what was gained is unknown. Sometimes when he leaves a city / town there is nothing left afterwards, someone brave might go into it, but they don't come out the same. They never talk about what was seen, and more rumors come about. Other times when he leaves, the city/ town it prospers with great wealth, happy content people, and little to no diseases. Some think this lone wonder is a blessing from the Gods. Others think he was punished and that he took it out on the innocent people of the cities. To me, it's become a game, move to each place, like it's a giant playing board, and with a roll of the dice you either live or die. So when he came to our Grand City, nobody knew what to think. 

In an unusual shadowy mist, one early morning, a silent figure walked across the bridge into our Grand City. Not a sound could be heard, not even his boots as he walked across our cobblestone bridge. No animals were scattering around looking for food, no birds were squaking, waiting for the humans to feed them, there was nothing but an eery silence that seemed to consume everything around it. He paid little to no attention to all the statues of our Gods and the High Priests and Kings that have earned a place near them. 

Those that have heard the rumors are treating him like a God while others are keeping a great distance away, or packing there belongings and getting ready to leave the city. The no-name wonder has got a room at my inn and has yet to leave it. 

Rumors travel extremely fast in our city, so it was no bug surprise when the captain of the guard came for him. 

"Where is this wonderer?" His voice was so deep it made those that have never heard it shiver. 

"Why 'd'you ask my lord? Surely he has done nothing wrong. He has yet to leave his room." 

"So he is here. The High Lords wish to see him. Merely to ask why he choose to come here." You can tell a lot from people's eyes. And this was no different. He was lying and hiding something, but since there is little I can do, for now, to stop them from taking him, I went to retrieve him. 

I approached his door like a cat approaches a sleeping dog. But Before I could knock, the door was opened and I was staring into the deepest blue eyes I've ever seen. It was like looking into an ocean on a calm day. He didn't seem like the kind of person who talks a lot, so I answered his unspoken question. 

"The Lords' guard is here for you." He merely nodded, closing his door and following me down the stairs. The way he was responding to this said that he was expecting it. So I started to wonder if all the rumors were true. 

I don't exactly know why, but I ended up with the wonderer as the captain took us to the Lords' "Palace." I think the Lords wanted all those brave,? stupid,? enough to associate with him. 

My inn is on the outskirts of the city, near the entrance, where visitors can come easily. The "Palace" is on the opposite side of the city, not even close to my small inn. In our wooden cage nobody, not even the guards, paid us much mind, so I decided to at least live up to what I thought I was there for. I talked to him. 

"You seemed to have been expecting that." He didn't even give me a glance, let a lone an answer. But I wasn't deterred, so I tried again. "There are a lot of rumors that follow you. Are they true?" Nothing again. "Why did you come to our city?" 

I wasn't expecting an answer so I almost missed his whisper of a reply, "I merely came back for what belongs to me." Nothing else was said the rest of the way. 

"We should just give him what he came for!" We heard the Lord's yelling at each other through the door. 

"Nonsense." The second Lord whispered something we couldn't hear. The doors opened and we were sent in. 

"Leave us." The captain grabbed my arm, "The inn keeper may stay." 

The Lords were snobs, plain and simple. They didn't see anything past the pointy noses on their faces. Greed consumed their eyes. Why they let me stay is a mystery, because, they acted like we weren't even in the room after the guards left. Although they did seem smug about something. 

The wonderer finally spoke up, "You have that which belongs to me. Give it back." 

"And what pray-tell would that be?" The third Lord spoke up. 

"The necklace. You still have it, and I want it back." 

"This? No, I'm afraid we've grown attached to it." 

Outside the fog that he came with started flowing through the city. People outside started to panic, running to their homes, afraid of what was to come. 

There is another rumor in our city. One that says, many centuries ago, the Lords came into possession of something with great power, that in turn gave them their power. Although nobody knew where it came from or how they got it. 

Was it the wanderer's? 

Then it hit me..... all the rumors about the wonderer.... the Lords' power.... they were connected. The Legendary wonderer goes from a city /town , to another, but the time frames never match up. The ones that prosper must've taken the necklace from him, while the others.... wouldn't give it back. Our city was in grave danger. 

I looked over at the wonderer, only to notice his eyes were like the shadowy mist that followed him around. He was muttering something under his breath in a language long since dead to anyone alive now. The necklace vanished from the Lord's and reappeared around his neck. Outside the wind was picking up, and people of all ages were crying out in agony, but I saw and heard none of it. My focus was entirely on the wonderer. A bright burst of light and three tortured screams pierced the air less than ten feet away from me. I turned and saw a horrible sight. The Lords were all laying on the floor, in a heap of limbs, blood, and other things I'd rather not think about. I blinked and it was all over. Not a sound could be heard through the entire city, and the... bodies... if you could still call them that, of the Lords turned into a large pile of ashes. 

"Your city, centuries ago, was full of poverty, and plagues. They were given a gift that was to be returned when I came for it. But they let their desire for power/ greed over take them, until they were consumed and reached their breaking points. You and the survivors will rebuild." That sentence was a command. 

He left with that. And as he crossed the bridge to our once Grand City, you could hear his voice in the whisper of the wind, "Remember to return that which doesn't belong to you, and you're fate won't be like that of the city...." 

As the sun started it's trek through the sky to show the start of a new day, all the other survivors and myself were joined together. It was decided that we would rebuild, and start anew. There's enough of us here to start a small town, so well start from there and work our way up. But we're not going to let the same thing happen again. Stories like this will be told to our children and our children's children... so on and so fourth. A statue, not like those on the bridge will be made as a visual reminder, for non-believers. Greed for power and riches is a powerful thing. But, no matter what, if the wonderer comes back we won't make the same mistake as the Lords. 

-Owari- 


End file.
